Missionary Activities and Human Rights

The aim of this project was to contribute, on the basis of human rights, to the prevention of conflicts arising from missionary activities. The project focused on both governments and missionary societies and their roles in ensuring that international standards for human rights are met.

Illustration photo from front page of report: Sea landscape with straw

Illustration photo: NCHR

History of the project

In November 2009 the Oslo Coalition launched a document of Recommendations for Ground Rules on Missionary Activities. The Ground Rules focused on the “senders” of missionary activities, and sought to establish Human Rights as well as ethical standards of conduct for actors such as missionaries, missionary organizations and other religious actors involved in missionary activities.

The Ground Rules have been translated into Arabic, Bahasa, German, and Russian.

Activities

The project on Missionary Activities and Human Rights sought to explore another perspective of possible conflicts arising out of missionary activities: namely the role of the states in which missionary activities are conducted. It is beyond doubt that missionary activities have led and often lead to social, political and religious tensions in many particular contexts worldwide. As a result of missionary activity, states have often developed legislation to regulate or hinder missionary activities. This project sought to explore the legitimacy of such regulations.

Selected activities

A two days international seminar titled “What are legitimate restrictions on missionary activity toward vulnerable groups?" was arranged at Lysebu in Oslo, October 2014.

Publications:

Published Aug. 17, 2017 11:28 AM - Last modified Jan. 30, 2023 11:56 AM